


Sleep-flying

by D_writes



Series: Supercorp that were supposed to be one shots but who am I kidding [6]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Lena is the ultimate hipster, art hoes, cheeseballs, it only vaguely follows the show storyline, sleep flying, these assholes are in love ok?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-08
Updated: 2017-03-09
Packaged: 2018-10-01 03:55:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10180130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/D_writes/pseuds/D_writes
Summary: Stress and exhaustion are catching up with the Girl of Steel. So much that when she falls asleep, she starts sleep-flying though National City sky to land on a certain CEO'S bed, and it becomes a habit.orKara sleep-flies every night to Lena's bed, and discovers they are both art hoes.- - -The third chapter was heavily inspired by this amazing exhibition at the Gagosian Gallery in London, so if you want to have a better idea read about it herehttp://www.gagosian.com/exhibitions/avedon-warhol--february-09-2016- - -





	1. Chapter 1

It’s been a long week. With Snapper’s new assignment, a rogue alien trying to destroy National city for no better reason than pure rage, and an all-human state level conspiracy (because now she also deals with those, apparently), Kara’s never felt so tired. She’s spreading herself thin and she knows it. She barely gets enough sleep on a regular day, but she got almost none for the past three days. The news about Jeremiah was the last straw. 

She’s sitting on the stairs of the DEO, staring blankly into the distance. It’s all a bit too much.

“Hey, Kara…” Winn looks at her between the bars of the railing, on its way to the coffee machine, “why don't you go home? Take a night off. J’onn has recovered completely, he can cover for you if anything comes up."

Kara turns her head, slowly, and blinks. She’s a little confused. 

“Go home?” she breathes out, exhausted.

“Yeah, come on,” he encourages her, sweetly “Alex will be here in a couple of hours for the night shift. Get some rest.”

Kara frowns. There’s that article she needs to write. She managed to push the deadline to Monday so she potentially has the whole weekend to get it done, but what if something comes up? Should she really waste time sleeping? 

And then there’s Mon-El. 

They haven’t seen each other for few days, and he’s quite… persistent, to say the least. If she mentions she’s going home to sleep, there’s a 100% chance he’ll want to join - and Kara is _not_ in the mood for that.

“Where’s Mon-El?” she asks, her voice feeble and tired.

Winn purses his lips, noticing the bitterness in Kara’s words. He’s supposed to be at the DEO, but no one’s seen him since yesterday when he said he ‘needed a break from all this drama’ and effectively disappeared, telling Kara to call him ‘when she’s feeling better so they can finally have some fun’.

“He’s probably out patrolling?” Winn says, not even trying to sound convincing.

“You know what? I don't even care. If he looks for me” Kara sighs, rubbing a hand over her eye “tell him I’m on a mission. Out of town. Maybe in another universe,” she concludes, pleased with her idea.

“Sure” Winn nods, giving her a half-hearted smile, “now go home. You can't keep the city safe in these conditions."

“I think you’re right,” Kara admits, “please tell J’onn-“

“Go,” he cuts her off, “I’ll handle it.”

“Thanks” she says, wholeheartedly, before she stumbles to the exit. With one last burst of energy, she flies up in the sky, arms dangling tiredly and eyes barely open. 

It takes longer than usual to get home. Kara is not used to being so worn-out yet still in possession of all her powers. She'd rather solar flare, if she’s honest. At least the headlights of the cars below her wouldn't be so blinding, the roars of the engine on the ground and in the air - _so many planes at this time of the day_ , she thinks - would’t fuel her headache. 

When she finally flies through her window and plops onto her sofa, it’s past midnight. She doesn't even take off her supersuit. She just lays still for a whole of three second before she falls into a deep, dreamless slumber.

\- - -

She wakes up to the scent of coffee and and a soft humming. The sun is high in the sky and _what day is it?_ W _hy didn't she hear her alarm? Who’s making coffee in her flat?_

She scrunches her nose at the thought of Mon-El letting himself in. She discards the idea when she realises the humming is soft and high-pitched: a woman’s voice. If she’s lucky, Alex decided to drop by after her night shift. Although her sister can hold a note, and whoever is singing right now is probably tone deaf.

Kara refuses to open her eyes, burying her face in the pillow. She can feel the warmth of the sun on her body, the noises of a the city that’s already awake, the soft, silky sheets under her palms and-

“Wait a minute,” she thinks, lifting her head, eyes flying open, “this… this is not my sofa."

Kara lifts herself on her arms, panicked, so forcefully that she sends herself flying against the ceiling. Her head hits the roof with a cracking nose, and some plaster falls down with her as she lands back on the bed. She hears some hurried steps coming towards her. 

“What happened?” she hears, “Supergirl, are you ok?” The voice, initially worried, now sounds amused. Kara recognises the warmth of the timbre, the softness in the  _t,_ the gentle puff of laughter that follows.

“Miss Luthor…” she mumbles agains the pillow.

“Call me Lena, please,” she corrects her, leaning against the doorframe, “I think waking up in the same bed demands being on a first name basis-” Kara turns her head just enough to peek at the CEO, who can now see the bright pink colouring her cheeks,- “Kara."

Kara has to stops herself from flinging her own body against the ceiling again - she’s done enough damage for the day.

“I made coffee” Lena adds, leaving the room before Kara can deny or confirm, “come get some when you’re ready.”

\- - -

Kara sits up and looks around.

The room is big and white and perfectly tidy, except for the mess of bedsheets she’s tangled in. The wooden floor gives a hint of warmth to the decor. But it’s the painting on the wall that makes her gasp in awe. It’s a yellow and deep red juxtaposition that she recognises immediately. The lampshades match its colours as well as the huge, fluffy rug that sitting below the bed.

Kara stands up, and notices she’s still wearing her boots.

“Ow fudge,” she mutters “now I’ll have to change the bedsheets…”

Puzzled and disoriented, she briefly considers bolting out of the window and disappear, but then resolves to at least thank Lena for… well, for not being mad, to start. For letting her sleep in her bed. For being surprisingly ok with her being Supergirl.

She timidly walks into the open space lounge, temporarily forgetting all about her weird situation as she takes in the view. She’s not sure what she was expecting, but it’s not… this. She doesn’t expect the exposed brick wall, the grey polished concrete floor, the huge industrial windows. She takes in the impossibly tall ceiling, the suspended lamps, the dark metal and solid wood furniture. Her gaze lingers on the plants hanging from the shelves, on the tightly packed bookshelf, the paintings…

“Oh my God, is that an original Moholy-Nagy?” Kara lets out. She looks at the painting, lips parted, until Lena is standing by her side, offering a cup of black coffee.

“It is” she replies, pleasantly surprised.

“And the Rothko in your room... is that an original too?

“Yes, and those over there are Rayograms. Why, are you interested in-“

“Are you _kidding me”_ Kara squeaks, rushing towards the three framed photograms, holding herself back from running a finger on the glass. She quickly realises she's left Lena holding her cup, so she floats back at inhuman speed to take it from her hands. “Sorry. Thank you.” She blurts out, blushing. 

“Do you take milk?” Lena says with a light chuckle.

“A dash, yes, please” Kara mumbles, suddenly aware that she’s in Lena’s flat, in her personal space. She watches the CEO walking barefoot to the kitchen and pull out the milk from the fridge, inviting her to come closer.

“Come here, I’m not your butler!” Lena jokes, and Kara’s skin heats up even more.

“N-no, of course, I’m sorry, I-“

“Kara, I’m joking. Breathe."

“So… you know, mh?” Kara comments, as Lena pours some milk in her cup.

“If I had any doubt before, having you wrapped around me last night wiped them all away. There’s only one person in National City whose body temperature is so high, and I’ve hugged Kara Danvers.” Lena smiles, smug, and Kara nods shyly.

“I know, there’s nothing I can do about it,” Kara mutters, “Wait, what do you mean wrapped around…? Lena I’m so sorry! I have no idea how that happened!” 

“I must say, I was a tad surprised myself,” Lena admits, “when I woke up to find you in my bed I… panicked a little. But when I tried to wake you up you just didn’t, so I thought I’d let you sleep. Looks like you needed it.” 

“Oh Rao!” if Kara could dig herself a hole and hide in it, she would. Come to think of it, she probably can - although that’s probably not the most mature solution. “I promise it won’t happen again! And I’ll get you some new bedsheets, I slept with my boots on and-“

“Don't worry about that” Lena waves a hand in the air, dismissive, “I’ll just have them washed.” 

Kara stares inside her mug for a moment, then downs the hot coffee under Lena’s amused gaze. “I-I better get out of your hair,” she says, washing and drying the mug in the span of half-second, “you probably have stuff to do, and I need… I need to… yeah.” 

Before Lena can argue that she has not, in fact, stuff to do, Kara is barging out of the only open window and flying up towards the sky.

\- - -

“Hey, how are you?” Winn runs towards Kara, a worried look on his face, “why didn’t you pick up?” he whispers, shaking his phone in front of her. Kara’s eyes grow wide as she realises she doesn’t have her phone on her.

“I must’ve dropped it,” she says, frowning. 

Winn lowers his shoulders, giving her an unimpressed look. “Thank God it was nothing important,” he explains, “just Mon-El looking for you.”

“He's back?” she asks, rubbing two fingers on her forehead. Her face twists a little.

“Mh, Kara, I know this is none of my business but… are you even… happy with him?” Her head shoots up, surprised. “I-I mean, don’t get me wrong, you two seems to have a lot in common. You’re both.. aliens, for example. But I don't know, he's not being very supportive, is he?"

“I don’t have time to think about this right now,” Kara scoffs, “I just came to check that everything is ok, and if there are no emergencies I need to get on with my article."

“Sure, no, everything is quiet.” Winn confirms.

“Good,” Kara nods, ready to leave.

“Hey, I’m glad you could rest,” he comments, smiling, “you look much better than last night."

“Yeah, I… I guess” Kara mutters, and Winn thinks she's blushing a little, but she disappears to quickly for him to be sure.

\- - - 

Kara gets home and finds her phone on the sofa. She probably dropped it when she fell asleep. She check it and only finds the calls from Winn. She chucks it back on the sofa, and takes a quick shower before setting to work on her article. She’s got all the research covered, not she just needs to sit her ass down and turn it into a 2000 words in-depth piece on alien trafficking.

She struggles a little to remain impartial, but she manages to get it done by sunset. She stretches, grateful that the day has gone by without any major alien attack. Weeks like these can cost her her job, and she can’t afford to lose the last shred of normalcy left in her life.

She takes five ready-meals out of her freezer and chucks them all in the oven, and eats seven bananas while waiting for them to cook. She also manages to drink half gallon of milk and inhale two packs of cookies before she can finally set the boxes on a large tray and devour them sitting on the sofa. She’s so hungry she doesn't even turn the TV on. 

Once she’s sufficiently fed, she changes back into her supersuit for a just-in-case patrol. Her super-hearing is more than enough, but it’s been a long and weird week, and she can use some fresh air. It’s a mistake, of course. It’s a Saturday night, and she ends up stopping countless fist-fights outside nightclubs and escorting lonely, drunk women home until 4am. By the time she finally gets home and collapse in bed, the sun is rising. 

\- - -

Lena’s alarm goes off at 6am sharp, even on a Sunday. She makes it her personal mission to avoid snoozing, so she’s up on her feet after the first ring. Last night she’s decided to put on a t-shirt and some shorts, just in case Kara decides to drop by unannounced again. She's not sure she’ll ever get over the fact that she woke up naked in Supergirl’s arm, although the hero most definitely didn’t notice. She managed to sneak out of bed and get dressed quietly enough.

She’s almost disappointed when she notices the bed is empty, but shrugs it off.

She’s about to leave her room when she hears a cracking noise. Lena almost screams before she realises it's Supergirl, floating outside her window, turning the handle to get in. The fact that it's locked doesn’t seem to stop her, and she effortlessly snaps the helve and destroys the lock.

“Kara, what are you doing?” Lena protests, watching the girl of steel climb inside her room, a dead look in her half-lidded eyes. Kara doesn’t reply. Instead, she flies herself towards the bed and crashes on the mattress.

Lena stares at her, confused and unsure on what to do. Should she wake her up? From her experience, even if she tried, she probably wouldn't succeed. Kara is a hell of a heavy sleeper. She settles for pulling her boots off and moving a stray hair of her mouth.

It’s almost midday when she hears a loud crack, and walks in on Kara trying to put the headboard back together.

“Lena, I’m so, so sorry!” she whines, exasperated. 

Lena wants to be mad - it’s going to take a month to get a matching headboard delivered - but she can only laugh when she sees a red-faced Supergirl tangled in her own cape, seemingly unable to decide if she wants to free herself or fix the headboard first.

She brushes it off with a “Don't worry, come get some lunch” as she leave the room to give Kara the chance to pull herself together. 

“I really don’t understand what’s happening!” Kara says as she jogs back to the living room,  “I swear I fell asleep in my own bed last night.”

Lena puts a glass of orange juice on the table for her, together with some scrambled eggs, toast and cottage cheese. 

“I think you’re sleepwalking” she finally reveals, “or sleep… flying?” 

“I’m _what_ now?” Kara squeaks.

“You flew in this morning, when I was awake, and you looked like you were completely out of it. Lex used to sleepwalk too, with the exact same non-expression on his face.”

Kara frowns. “That’s never happened before… not like this. Sometime I just float above the mattress, but to leave my flat and fly all the way here… I don't even know your address!” 

Lena’s slightly taken aback by how casually Kara mentions she sometimes _floats in her sleep_ , and maybe this is the first time she realises the woman in front of her is, well, an alien. 

“I was going to ask you about that. How did you get here?” Lena replies after a thoughtful moment. She’d just assumed they had it at the DEO, since they kept her under surveillance for a while, and she’s not sure she's comfortable with that. 

“I must have… uh-oh.” Kara blushes hard, and Lena is obviously intrigued.

“You must have…?” she encourages.

“I-I think I followed your heartbeat” Kara breaths out, dropping her head.

And Lena’s heartbeat, once summoned, immediately gets faster. Kara timidly raises her head and an eyebrow, unable to stop herself from staring at the spot where Lena’s heart is. Which is incidentally right in the middle of her chest, and the very thin, white t-shirt is doing such a poor job at covering up that Kara doesn't even need her x-ray vision to get a perfectly accurate picture of what’s underneath. Lena’s nipples seem to notice, and immediately snap to attention. Their owner quickly grabs the sweater resting on the backrest of her chair and wears it, with a muttered: “it’s a bit chilly this morning, isn't it?"

“I can never tell,” Kara admits, glad to change the topic.

“You know, sleepwalking happens when one is especially tired or stressed… are you sleeping enough?” Lena enquires, nibbling at her eggs. 

“Ah!” Kara scoffs, “No. Not at all. It’s been… a rough couple of weeks.” Seeing Lena's eating, she tentatively grabs her fork and points it to her plate with a questioning look. Her host nods enthusiastically.

“Well then maybe you should look after yourself a bit more,” Lena says, tilting her head. Her voice betrays a genuine concern. Kara looks at her wide-eyed, fork raised just in front of her lips. “What? What did I say?” Lena asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Nothing, it's just… everybody’s been asking something from me, lately. It’s a really tough time at the DEO and I’m, like, their most powerful weapon after all.” She says it without pride, as a plain fact, and Lena suddenly sees Kara Danvers rather than the superhero. “Sometimes people forget I’m a living person. It’s the first time in weeks someone’s cooked anything for me, not even my… boyfriend did,” she concludes, finishing what’s left on her plate. 

“Boyfriend?” Lena asks, surprised, before she can stop herself.

“Sort of” Kara mumbles, unsure. Before she can elaborate, her stomach grumbles, not entirely satisfied.

“I guess next time I’ll have to make some more food,” Lena smirks, “there’s some fruit on the counter, and some protein bars in the cupboard.”

“It’s ok, I really should get going. I’m sorry I keep dropping on you like this, it's just-“ Kara tries to come up with an explanation, but she has none. 

“You’re welcome to stay over whenever you want, Kara,” Lena argues, benevolently, “maybe just… let me know in advance?”

“Oh my God! I could’ve… what if you had someone over?” Kara covers her mouth at the thought, and Lena decides she won't mention it hasn't happened in a very long time, “this has to stop!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Accidental domestic assholes in love.  
> Sorry I had to write some Karam*l in but it's for the greater good.

It doesn’t stop.  

Sunday is full of children getting in trouble and twenty-something driving while hangover after a weekend partying. And apparently Cadmus has now decided to kidnap aliens in broad daylight on the day of the Lord, and Kara has been chasing countless men and women in black tactical gear all over National City. She barely has time to review her article before she falls asleep with her head on the table.

Twenty minutes later she’s floating through Lena’s window. The CEO is still awake, reading in bed. She watches Supergirl fly through the open window without finding any resistance - the lock is still broken - and can’t help a smile. She scoots to one side, letting Kara land heavily next to her. 

When Kara wakes up it’s barely 7am, but Lena’s already left. She groans, scolding herself internally for letting this happen three days in a row. She finds a note on the bedside table, and smiles noticing Lena's neat, slightly slanted handwriting.

_Your boots are by the door. There’s coffee in the kitchen, help yourself to whatever is in the fridge - L._

Monday is for Snapper to have a go at her and for Alex to demand a 'training session’ - which is code for ‘let’s beat each other up until we’re too tired to be angry at Cadmus’. Kara eats three pizzas and four pots of icecream before falling asleep while watching re-runs of Friends. Lena wakes up in the middle of the night as Kara plops on top of her, still holding a spoon in her hand. 

The note she leaves on the fridge in the morning simply says: _It’s full - L._

On Tuesday she almost gets fired twice, and has to pull fifty-three people out of a derailed train out of town. She falls asleep while she’s still flying on her way home. Her body makes a sharp turn, and soon enough Lena is wrapped in her arms. A faint scent of burnt plastic is still lingering in her bedsheets in the morning. 

The post-it on the door reads: _I’m glad your sleeping-self started taking off her boots - L.  
_ Kara is glad too.

Wednesday could be a quiet day if it weren't for Mon-El, but apparently he can't get his head around that fact that Kara won’t go on a date with him when she has the whole evening free. He insists she can leave if there’s an emergency, and she almost shouts she doesn't need his permission to go save someone. He gives her a weird look and makes her promise they’ll go out of Friday. She’s too exhausted to say no. She locks her window to prevent herself from flying out, but the next morning she’s once again in Lena's bed and one of her windows needs to be repaired.

By Thursday, it’s officially a habit. Lena’s fixed the lock on her window, but leaves it open for her to fly in at any time. Kara doesn't know, but Lena now makes sure she falls asleep on the left side of her bed so there’s enough space for her to lay comfortably. She’s also unaware that most night the Lena's awake when she flies in, laying on her side, facing away from the window. When Kara finally slips under the covers and automatically spoons her, the CEO can finally fall asleep. Kara doesn’t hear how Lena sighs, relieved, every time she shows up safe. 

Every morning, her coffee is ready, the fridge is full, and Kara knows there’s a note for her somewhere in the flat, a _Hey, the cleaning lady is coming at 9am, can you make sure you’re out by then? It would be hard to explain - L._ or _You smell like gasoline, feel free to take a shower - L._

On Friday, Kara’s finally starting to feel a little rested. She almost thinks this is the night her body won't betray her. Despite the alien kidnappings becoming more frequent, she’s finally managed to find time to eat properly, she delivered her article within the deadline and she has no work over the weekend. Hopefully she can just slip into her pjs and and watch a sappy rom-com. 

A knock on her doors tells her the universe has different plans for her. 

“Mon-El!” she says as she opens the door, trying to stretch her lips in a smile. She completely forgot about their date.

“Kara, hey!” he smiles, holding a small bouquet of flowers. 

He’s sweet, she thinks, he’s trying so hard and she's been terrible at making time for him. She gives him a peck and lets him in, taking the flowers form his hands with a shy “thank you."

“So, I thought we could go to that nice French restaurant down the road, then a couple of cocktails, then back her for some… you know” he winks, and Kara feels her bones chilling at the though if such a long, tiring plan. “What do you think?”

“Yeah, sounds… great” she says, trying to sound thrilled.

“Come on, babe! Give me a smile, we’ve barely seen each other last week.” 

“Well, you haven't really been around…” Kara mentions.

“I know, but you have all this family thing going on, I’m not really good with that kind of stuff,” he says with a shrug.

“I could've use some support, you know,” she mumbles as she puts the flowers into a vase, “I’m really stressed out these days, with work, the DEO, Cadmus, my dad…” she feels her strength leaving her just by listing this stuff.

“And I happen to know a very good way to relax,” Mon-El comments, taking a step closer, “what do you say if we skip the restaurant and go straight to bed?”

Kara smiles, tiredly but gratefully. “That sounds really nice, actually. I do need to sleep!”

“Sure, sleep,” he confirms, not trying to hide his disappointment.

“Mon-El, I’m really exhausted. The last thing I need is more… exercise.”

“You’re right,” he confirms, “let’s go to sleep.”

\- - -

It’s easier said than done. As soon as they’re under the covers, Mon-El demands a goodnight kiss, then another, then three, then his hands starts to move a little too freely. He grabs Kara’s ass and pushes her closer, and she lets him because she doesn’t even have the energy to protest. Feeling her unresisting, he grows confident and moves a hand under her shirt, stroking her abs, her side, and-

“Stop!” Kara finally breaths out, holding his wrist before he reaches her breasts.

“Oh, come on, don't be such a tease.” 

“Excuse me?” Kara snaps, “I told you _very clearly_ I just want to sleep.”

“Yeah, but then you kiss me, you let me touch you like that, of course I-“

“Oh. My. God. Get out.”

“Excuse me?” he says, confused.

“ _Now”_ she seethes “before I literally  _throw_ you out of the window.”

“Kara, I’m your boyfriend! You can't keep me dry for almost two weeks and expect me to just... sleep!”

“You know what? Stay,” she scoffs, and for a moment he looks relieved, “I’m leaving.”

“K-Kara, where are you going? I though-” but Kara’s already changed in her Supergirl suit and disappeared towards the sky “-I thought you were tired.”

\- - -

Lena doesn’t expect a knock. She flinches when she hear the gentle sounds of knuckles hitting her window, and she can't help a chuckle when she says: “Come in, it’s open.”

She also doesn’t expect Kara to be in tears. Yet there she is, sniffling quietly in her Supergirl gear, trying to wipe the wetness from her cheeks with the back of her hand.

“Kara, what happened?” she jumps off the bed and rests her hand on Kara’s shoulder, ducking her head a little to look into her eyes, “Are you hurt?"

Kara shakes her head, apologetically. “No, no, I’m fine, I’m just… can I stay over?” She sniffles a little, “no questions asked?"

“Sure,” Lena replies without hesitation, “it’s not like it’d be the first time.” 

Kara lets out a short laughter, and feels Lena’s hands slide from her shoulders. She looks up, noticing that Lena is standing in front of her, unsure. She frowns, and bring a hand to rub the back of her neck.“What?” Kara whispers, feeling a little scrutinised.

“It's just… I kinda…” Lena raises her hands towards Kara’s neck, but then stops and lowers them again, to the level of her sides, “I’m not really good at this, but...” she admits, yet wraps her arms around her waist, pulling her closer, “…there.” Kara is taken aback but the clumsy hug, but it takes only a second for her to gratefully melt into it. She quickly brings her arms around Lena’s shoulders, and mutters a ‘thank you’ against her hair. Lena holds her for as long as Kara needs her to. She rubs a palm on her back, gently, and lets Kara decide when it’s time to break the hug. 

It’s a long hug. 

Lena can't remember if she’s ever hugged anyone for so long, but it doesn't feel too awkward. She’ll go as far as say it almost feels natural. 

“How about you change into something comfortable, since you're still awake?” she suggest when they finally part. 

\- - -

One thing is to let an already asleep Supergirl crash on her bed. Another, entirely different thing is to watch Kara Danvers in a t-shirt and shorts slip under the covers and curl in a foetal position. It’s not even 10pm and it’s a miracle Lena’s not in her office - well, not exactly a miracle, but she’s not going to mention that these days she's been coming home earlier just in case a certain superhero shows up - but she is not ready to sleep yet.

“Do you mind if I read for a while?” Lena asks, looking down at mass of blonde hair sprawled on her mattress, watching it move as Kara nods. But then the reporter looks up, eyes still damp, and blurts out: “Lena, I'm so sorry. This is… this is unacceptable! I’m such a mess. I’m violating your privacy, forcing myself into your home, your private space, I… you don't deserve this. I’m going to see a therapist next week, see what I can do to fix this. I promise I’ll do whatever it takes to give you your life back, I just haven’t had time yet and-“

“Shhhh” Lena shushes her, gently, “It’s ok, Kara.” She brushes a flock of hair away from her face, revealing her heated cheeks, reddened by her crying.

“It’s not ok,” Kara whines, fist clenched, angrily. She feels so powerless, and guilty for dragging Lena with her in this stupid situation.

The CEO puts her book on her bedside table, and slides down to lay on her back. “Come on,” she encourages, “come here.” 

Kara frowns. “Are you sure?” she mumbles, a little incredulous. Lena just slips an arm under her shoulder and scoops her closer. And Kara lets her. She lays her head on Lena's chest and wraps an arm around her stomach. She's grateful when the CEO turns the light off, because she's already crumpling her t-shirt in her fist, she’s already burying her face in her neck, she’s already shuddering with every circle Lena’s fingers draw on her back. Lena feels a drop falling on her skin, she hears a sniffle that Kara’s desperately trying to hold back.

“You probably don’t know this, but...” Lena breathes out, and her voice shaking a little, “you’ve been holding me every night. It’s only fair I return the favour.” 

\- - -

What Kara hasn't considered is that Lena would be there when she wakes up. 

When she does, there’s a little pool of drool between her lips and the warm, pale skin beneath them. She raises her head, confused, thinking Mon-El must be moisturising a lot because this is way softer than she remembers. She uses her t-shirt to wipe her mouth and the trail she left behind, when a soft “mmmh” makes her wince. The jolt in her body must alarm the person she’s so desperately holding on to, because she's greeted by a throaty: “are you ok?"

“Lena!” she props herself up, suddenly self-conscious.

“Shhhh,” Lena replies, a grimace on her face, “it’s, like, 4am. Come back here.” She pulls her back, gently, and Kara barely resists before she readjusts herself to a more comfortable position. She feels Lena’s chin resting on her head, and a lazy hand clumsily patting her face. She giggles as Lena sleepily mumbles: “Mh, there.” 

Lena mindlessly starts playing with her hair, wrapping a curl on her finger. She seems oddly comfortable with their closeness, and Kara is suddenly aware that she's been spending every night in her bed for a week. Lena’s been waking up close to her every single morning. By the way Lena instinctively strokes her shoulder, Kara is sure they’ve shared moments like this before, and if she knows herself, Kara’s probably been the one initiating the physical contact. And what if Lena wasn't comfortable with it at the beginning, but could do nothing to avoid it? What if Kara pushed and pushed, and Lena had to accept it, given her super-strenght and her apparently very demanding sleeping self? What if-

“Stop,” Lena wiggles underneath her, and Kara freezes, “you're thinking too loud.”

“W-what?” Kara panics at the thought that Lena could be a psychic like J’onn, and, right now, that would definitely be an issue because _God she smells so good, she_ feels _so good._

“You’re super tense, just… relax.” 

“Oh,” Kara breathes again, “ok."

“Unless you have somewhere to be?” Lena realises, her brain slowly waking up.

“No, I… I have nowhere to be today.”

“Good” she sighs, happily, and dozes off again.

\- - -

When she wakes up, she’s alone. Lena pats the right side of the bed and finds it cold. She’d lie if she said she wasn't disappointed.

The truth is, having Kara crashing on her bed on a daily basis has been the closest thing she's had to a domestic partner in a long time. Or ever. She's never let anyone stay over, let alone every night for a whole week. She's never built a routine with anyone, and now… now she’s getting up early enough to leave Kara the space she needs to wake up without awkwardness. She makes coffee every morning, she gets Jess to place online food shopping orders. She leaves post-it notes around her flat. She even puts her heels on once she’s out of the door to be as quiet as possible.

Lena’s starting to enjoy this a bit too much, and waking up to an empty bed and potentially an empty home is proving to be a thought she's not ready to deal with.

She resolves to get up. She turns the bluetooth on on her phone and puts on her 80s anthems playlist that never fails to cheer her up. The music reaches her from the leaving room, and she hums along S _isters are Doing it for Themselves_ while she brushes her teeth.

She’s more than little surprised when she walks into her living room and finds Kara dancing barefoot, lip syncing to _Girls Just Wanna Have Fun_ and occasionally flipping a pancake. There’s a big pile ready on the table, along with coffee and a series of toppings Lena’s pretty sure weren't in her cupboard. Kara probably went out to buy fresh berries and maple syrup.

Kara doesn't notice her, and keeps gracelessly jumping on the pads of her feet. Her glasses are resting on the countertop, droplets of melted butter all over the lenses.

“Hey,” Lena greets her, but Kara is too engrossed in her performance to notice. “Kara” Lena repeats, gently. No sign that she heard her.

“ _Kara!”_ she finally yells. The reporters lets out a terrified shriek, sliding to the other side of the kitchen at super-speed. She’s wielding the tool in front of her chest, eyes wide open and breath itched. Lena laughs, surprised at the warmth spreading in her chest at the sight of Kara is still there, cooking, dancing in her kitchen.

“Lena, hi!” she says, apologetically, “I was… making breakfast.”

“Yeah, I see that” Lena replies, turning the volume of the music down so they can talk, “mind if I join you?”

“O-of course, take a seat,” she hurries to flip one last pancake, then turns the hob off, “make yourself at home."

\- - -

“I know you said 'no questions asked', but… if you want to talk about it, I’m here, you know?” Lena says, tentatively, as they start eating.

Kara takes a deep breath, trying to make sense of what’s been going on in her life recently. “I think I’m just a little stressed” she shrugs, putting a huge piece of pancake in her mouth.

“Is that it?” Lena tries again, a calm, understanding tone in her voice.

“I just don't know… I don't know who I can trust anymore. My dad has been kidnapped by Cadmus for over decade, he spent years with them. We don't know who he’s become. Winn put a tracker on him and didn't feel safe to tell anyone. J’onn doesn't trust Alex to make the right decision, and Mon-El… where do I even start with him?”

“Who’s Mon-El?” Lena asks, confused. 

“You know him as Mike,” Kara explains, “we’re… he’s my…"

“Oh,” Lena gets it, “the boyfriend.”

Kara shakes her head, and suddenly there’s a crinkle between her eyebrows. “No,” she says, resolutely “no,  _ex_ boyfriend. After what he’s done yesterday… I just, I don't believe he’ll ever change.”

“I’m sorry to hear that” Lena comments, hoping that it sounds genuine, “It must be-“

“ _You_ ” Kara cuts her off, and stares right into Lena’s eyes. The CEO stiffens, feeling the weight of her gaze, its sudden intensity. She fears Kara figured out she’s not exactly sorry, that she’s enjoyed having her around more that she should have. She feels a pang of guilt in her chest. But then Kara’s expression turns softer, almost grateful. “You're the one I trust. I guess that’s why I’m sleep-flying here every night. You make me feel safe,” the realisation dawns on Kara unexpectedly, “you’re my safe place!” she whispers, almost to herself.

Lena’s not sure what to do with herself. Her stomach twists and flutters, she shuffles in her seat. Her eyes move around the room, unable to rest on anything, and especially not on Kara’s, because if she looks at her now, if Kara sees her eyes then she’ll _know._ There’s no way she can hide what those words are doing to her - the strange, almost painful happiness spreading in her chest. 

“I-I’m glad I could help,” Lena mumbles, then clears her throat, “I was planning to go to the Museum of Modern Art this afternoon, there’s a retrospective on Avedon and Warhol, plus a small temporary exhibition on Albers, so…” 

“Sure, I’ll wash up and-“ Kara is painfully aware of how intense her words must've sounded, and wishes she’d held back a little. She forces a smile, trying not to make Lena more uncomfortable than she already is, “-I’ll be out of here in a jiffy!” 

“No no no, that’s not what I meant,” Lena hurries to say, “I was… inviting you. You seemed to appreciate the paintings, and the photographs, and I thought-“

“Oh,” Kara gives her a beaming smile “yes! Oh my god, I love Avedon. I’ve been trying to get some press tickets but they gave it to Carol Windsworth and her art column! Also, I thought it was sold out?”

“L-Corp is a partner of the National City Art Foundation,” Lena explains with a shrug. 

“I would really love to go,” Kara whispers excitedly, scrunching her nose.

“Then it’s settled.” Lena smiles inside her mug as she finishes her coffee.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MUSEUM DATE.  
> That's it.
> 
> \- - - 
> 
> Read about the exhibition that inspired this chapter here http://www.gagosian.com/exhibitions/avedon-warhol--february-09-2016
> 
> \- - -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter! Leave a comment if you enjoyed :)  
> I sure had fun writing this one.  
> All the works are referenced at the end of the fic  
> Love y'all

Kara flies home, and is please to find that Mon-El had the decency to leave. She feels rested for the first time in weeks. Actually, she’s bursting with energy. She quickly tidies up her house, she showers, she drops by at Alex to bring her and Maggie coffee and donuts, she flies to the DEO to check there are no emergencies coming up - she even finds the time to visit Eliza and give her a much needed hug.  

Lena asked to meet her around 5:30pm. Kara is five minutes early and only now realises that the museum closes at 5pm. For a moment, she thinks she misunderstood the arrangement and is actually a few hours late - Lena must think she stood her up! She looks around, confused. There’s no one coming out of the main entrance, no one walking by. The National City Museum of Modern Art is nested between two residential buildings and a parking lot - the area is not far from the main road, but definitely far enough to be completely deserted when the building is closed.

Kara checks her phone again, making sure there is no Museum of Contemporary Art, or something similar, where she’s supposed to be instead. But everything checks out: the time, the date, the address.

A black car with smoked windows approaches, and sure enough, when the door opens Lena steps out, wearing a red coat over a dark dress. “Kara! I hope you haven't been waiting for too long” the CEO greets, checking her watch.

“Not at all, I got here a couple of minutes ago!” Kara smiles, relieved she hasn’t royally messed up.

“Shall we go in, then?” Lena invites, and Kara gives her a puzzled look.

“Sure, although… it’s past closing time?” she mentions, trying not to sound too condescending. Lena smirks, tilting her head, and forgives Kara for her lack of faith.

“Of course it is. The exhibition is sold out, it’s absolutely packed with people day in and day out. If I wanted to elbow my way through it, I would've gone to the opening."

Kara’s mouth gapes as she realises Lena is now talking to the security guard and getting the door open for them. They are going to be alone in the museum, they are going to have all the time to look at the exhibition! As Lena gestures for her to follow, she almost flies in, but settles for a light, excited jog.

The museum is dark and quiet, their steps echo in the silence. The corridors seem wider than Kara remembers, the empty bookshop looks ghostly in the dim, cold light of a single neon lamp lightening the widow. Kara feels weirdly out of place, and hurries to walk closer to Lena.

The CEO, in turns, seems pretty comfortable. She walks around like she owns the whole place - which is partially accurate, as Kara discovered. L-Corp in not only a partner but also the main contributor to the National City Museum of Modern Art. They take a lift to the second floor and finally reach the room they’re looking for. Lena confidently pushes a couple of switches and the room lights up, revealing a string of black a white photos and brightly coloured prints.

Lena grabs a bottle of champagne that’s waiting for them in a cooler, and expertly pops the cork. She fills a couple of flutes, then offers one to Kara.

“Let me talk you through the concept behind this exhibition” Lena mentions, offering a glass to Kara, “of course you can read the guide if you prefer, but I went through all the proposals so I can tell you as we walk around.”

Kara nods, and looks, and nods again, lips parted, glass still full in her hand. Lena clinks their glasses together, and walks to the first photograph. 

“This exhibition was previously displayed in London. The curator has paired a photograph by Avedon and an artwork by Warhol on the same theme, comparing the similarities and the differences in their approach. Here’s Marilyn, of course.” 

Lena’s wasted no time to walk to one of her favourite photographs. Marilyn Monroe is portrayed from the waist up, staring into the distance. Her shoulders are bare, a sparkling sequin dress wrapping her breasts, a plunging neckline revealing her cleavage. Her wasp waist is visible just above the frame. The perfect blond hair, the beauty spot, the tasteful winged eyeliner: it’s Marilyn, with all her Marilyn features, yet it's not.

“She looks so sad” Kara breathes out. And truly, there’s nothing more to that picture that a woman overwhelmed by sadness. 

“She does,” Lena confirms, “it seems like he managed to catch whatever was underneath her mask.”  She takes a sip, and moves two steps to the right, so she’s in front of the Warhol piece the curator picked to match the photograph. She absent-mindedly links a finger with Kara’s, pulling her in front of the famous dyptich.

“I’m sure you're familiar with this one” Lena smiles, and looks at Kara to find a confirmation in her nod “which one do you prefer?"

Kara’s slightly taken aback by the question. How is she supposed to pick between two works of art?

“If I were to pick something to put on my wall, I’d probably go for the Warhol” she shrugs “it’s bright and colourful and everybody recognises it. It’s a classic.” 

“But?” Lena presses, curious.

“But Warhol was interested in the mask of Marilyn, or celebrity even. There’s nothing real about her, she’s just a shape he uses. While Avedon's photograph is so…” she struggles to find a word “so…"

“…human?” Lena suggest.

“I guess” Kara confirms, seemingly unsatisfied with the word. Lena looks at her, curiously, letting her gaze trace her profile, her jawline. “ _Humanity_ ” Kara continues with a small laughter that sounds a little bitter, “that's how you call what makes people rational, sentient, worth of love. Real, even. Human as opposed to animal, or machine, or, or-”

“Alien” Lena concludes.

“Yeah” the reporter breaths out, then downs her drink. Lena takes the empty glass form her hand, and puts it on the floor with her own.

“I’m sorry, Kara, I picked the wrong word, I-” 

“Only you didn’t,” Kara argues, cutting her off, “that’s the exact word that describes the universal experience of being human. The very thing everybody’s supposed to relate to.” 

“Kara,” Lena looks at her, patiently, trying to see through the cold expression that’s now hardening Kara’s features. She reads all the anger that comes with the knowledge that she will always be an outsider.

“I’m sorry,” Kara shakes her head, stretching her lips in a forced smile.

“Come with me” Lena says, grabbing her hand again, and pulling her towards the other end of the room. Kara follows, surprised. They end up in front of a photograph of a scarred torso, one hand pressed agains the abdomen, the other pulling down the hem of the boxers to show some stitches. The flesh is soft, pale, in stark contrast with the black leather jacket that covers the arms.

“This is Andy Warhol photographed by Richard Avedon.” Lena explains, and Kara watches it, intently. The framed picture is placed in the middle of a white wall, isolated. “Warhol was almost killed, but survived the shooting. You can't see his face in this portrait, but the pattern created by the scars is so unique, it couldn't be anyone else. And that’s what makes this piece so beautiful to me. ”

Kara frowns, and looks at Lena, who looks back at her.

“Humanity might be what we have in common, but beauty is what’s unique about us,” Lena continues, taking a step closer to the reporter, giving her a knowing smirk, “and you, Kara Danvers, are one of a kind.” 

\- - -

Kara’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise at Lena’s words. Art has always been the way she had to connect, to _understand_ this similar, yet entirely different species. Art is how humans express they’re collective consciousness, pulling each other’s empathic strings. It was the dictionary she’s used to translate a foreign culture. But now she gets a glimpse of the fragmented world she ended up living in. The thin, black frame against the bare wall. The headless, modern San Sebastian telling a story marked forever on his flesh. The man behind the camera, who decided to cut the photograph so there’s no background left visible. A lone figure locked inside multiple barriers - the body, the frame, the wall. Earth. 

“Kara Zor-El,” she corrects, and Lena frowns a little, confused. “That’s my name,” she explains, and takes her glasses off, pinning them to the collar of her dress.

“Classic,” The CEO scoffs, seemingly amused, “I wake up with a woman in my bed and I don't even know her name."

Kara giggles, glad they can joke about it. Glad that Lena seems so… casual about it. They share a look, a comfortable one. Almost familiar. Until Kara’s eyes crinkle at the edge, her lips trapped between her teeth for second, holding back a cocky smile. Lena raises an eyebrow, trying to understand what’s suddenly so funny.

“Did you just call me beautiful?” Kara checks, not breaking eye contact.

And Lena discovers how Kara Zor-El is not, decidedly not, _just_ Kara Danvers. While the reporter is clumsy, shy, and a little avoidant, the woman in front of her is calm, collected - flirty even. And this is the moment, she thinks, where she decides in which direction this friendship is going. Part of her just wants to roll her eyes and scoffs and says something witty. Maybe a touch of sarcasm could help brush off Kara’s insinuation. Instead, she almost hears her heart performing a little musical number in her chest, she feels her smile freeze as she’s called out on her earlier remark.

Because God she _is_ beautiful, she’s stunning, with her light blue dress and her hair pinned back and _oh she’s moving closer_ and Lena winces, she almost steps back before she reminds herself that maybe this is exactly where she wants to be.

“Y-yeah,” Lena breaths out, her tongue darting out to wet her lips, suddenly dry, “I guess I did"

She doesn’t expect this to move so fast. She doesn’t expect Kara’s lips on hers, unquestioning, like it’s the most obvious thing to do. Like it’s so clear that this is where they’re going. Her eyes close, immediately, but she shudders, shellshocked. Her hand freeze mid-air before she can decide whether she should cup Kara’s face or hold her hips. Her lips are parted, but still. Her mind, blank. 

Kara steps back, and Lena slowly, carefully opens her eyes again. Her eyebrows come together in a crinkle at the lack of contact, at the way Kara throat pulses as she swallows, a slightly concern look in her eyes.

“Is this… have I got you completely wrong?” the reporter says, suddenly self conscious. And Lena sees a glimpse of Kara Danvers, and realises it’s a part of her that’s not entirely made up. There’s just more, _so much more_ about Kara Zor-El, and she can't wait to discover it.

“N-no, you-“ but she can’t, she can't look at Kara being so unsure, so vulnerable, she _has to_  let her know this was ok, this was more than ok, this was she’s been wanting to do for so long, since before she started appearing in her bed in the middle of the night. She can't waste time with words when her lips could be doing other, better things to explain how she's got her completely _right._

Kara smiles into the kiss, at Lena's almost childish eagerness. And there are fingers in her hair and palms on her jaw as Lena holds her, tight and tender, revealing all her youth in the action. She's so transparent in her desire - Kara likes to think no one's ever seen her so candidly relieved. 

“Don’t make fun of me, Kara Zor-El” Lena jokes, feeling the grin against her lips, accepting the peck that comes to silence her.

“I would never” Kara reassures her, a little teasingly maybe, but soft and careful like she’s always been. 

\- - -

They walk back to the beginning of the exhibition and start over. Lena talks briefly about mechanical reproduction, mentions Susan Sontag, the Factory, the idea of celebrity and icon, but then she lets the works speak for themselves. The silence they’re in is light and comfortable. Even when they link their fingers together, the focus is on the prints, the painting, the photographs - Lena would hate to know Kara would rather hurry outside, be somewhere else, even if with her, but every time she checks, the reporter is staring in awe at the piece in front of her, and then at its counterpart, weighting them individually and then in relation to one other. Kara is genuinely enjoying being there, and it makes Lena’s heart swell with happiness in her chest. 

“Oh my God, this is one of my favourite” Kara states, releasing Lena’s hand to gesture excitedly towards Avedon's self-portrait. It’s a well-known photograph: he's staring into the camera, his arms raised to fix his hair, blurry. He’s wearing a black shirt with rolled up sleeves, a flower in his pocket captures just enough light to appear against the fabric. The white buttons form an abstract path of flat white dots on his chest. “I’ve seen it before, of course, but now, in this context… I can see how he portrayed other people and how he portrayed himself, it’s interesting.”

“Doesn't explain why it's your favourite,” Lena comments, curious.

“I don't know, it just is. It… touches something inside me, I can’t really explain it,” Kara admits.

“It’s ok,” Lena shrugs, “we can't always explain why we love something. Sometimes it just… flies into your window and you’re just grateful it did.” 

“Wow, you’re so smooth, Miss Luthor” Kara chuckles.

“Who said I was talking about you?” Lena smirks, placing a small kiss on the shell of her ear. 

“I sure didn't.” 

\- - -

It takes them over two hours to visit the whole exhibition. Neither of them minds that, when the security guards lets them out, it’s dark. 

“This may be a little backward, but… would you like to have dinner with me?” Lena asks, sheepishly.

“I don't know, aren't we moving a bit too fast? We’ve only been sleeping together for a week after all…” Kara teases.

“This joke is going to get old very soon.” 

\- - -

They have dinner at a small bistro two blocks down from the museum. They talk a little more about photography, then move on to Lena’s time in college, but most of the evening is spent talking about Krypton. Kara talks with unbridled enthusiasm about her planet, and Lena listens, fascinated. She’s never experience the same pride, the same sense of belonging. She’s always felt a little out of place in her own family. 

“Lena, I think they're closing,” Kara whispers at some point, looking around the room. No one came to push them to leave, of course, but the restaurant in empty and it's past midnight.

“Oh God, you're right. It’s way past closing time, actually… we should go.” 

She quickly settles the bill and Kara promises next time will be her treat. As they walk out and towards the car, Lena grabs Kara’s hand and rubs a thumb over her knuckles. The reporter can sense that she’s about to ask something.

“I’d normally take things slowly but since you’ll most likely do it anyway… do you want to stay over tonight?"

Kara drops her head, half a smile on her lips. But there’s concern in her eyes when she looks at Lena, because things are about to get real and she doesn't know if she’s ready.

“We don't have to… you know, it can be like any other night,” Lena reassures her, “I just… I like waking up with you in my bed,” she adds, her cheeks heating up a little.

Kara gives her a beaming smile, and readjusts the glasses she remembered to put back.

“I’d love to.”

\- - -

It’s been a while since Kara managed to lay in bed and not fall asleep immediately. But tonight she’s finally enjoying the softness of Lena's bedsheets, the warmth of her body, the scent of her skin without a worry. And yes, she still needs to confront Mon-El and break the news that they’re splitting up. She still needs to find out if her father can be trusted or not. She still needs to face Snapper on Monday.

But right now, she can just rest hear head on Lena’s shoulder, enjoying the mindless pattern she’s tracing on her back. She can take the time to process all that happened in the past weeks. She can breathe. 

“You're one of a kind, Lena Luthor,” she whispers.

“You’re my safe place, Kara Zor-El,” she hears back.

_Lights off._

**Author's Note:**

> References
> 
> Rothko, N.8 (1952)  
> https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/85/21/81/852181bd19d6fd73e967106c589f6853.jpg
> 
> Lazlo Moholy-Nagy, The shape of things to come (1922)  
> https://www.sbma.net/sites/default/files/styles/content_slide/public/art_image/exh1_slide1.jpg?itok=NXF_SzNX
> 
> Man Ray, Untitled Rayograph (1922)  
> https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/76/Man_Ray,_1922,_Untitled_Rayograph.jpg  
> Man Ray, Rayograph (1923)  
> https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/a3/a3/7f/a3a37f43cea80a20f0d565b71383fe63.jpg  
> Man Ray, Rayograph (1925)  
> https://theliteratelens.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/manray_rayograph1.jpg
> 
> Richard Avedon, Marilyn Monroe, (1957)  
> https://www.moma.org/wp/moma_learning/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Richard-Avedon.-Mariyln-Monroe-407x395.jpg
> 
> Andy Warhol, Marilyn Monroe Dypthic (1967)  
> https://ka-perseus-images.s3.amazonaws.com/329f84364bd08b80515b71fa830da2d2b6802c0c.jpg
> 
> Richard Avedon, Andy Warhol, (1975)  
> https://i2.wp.com/www.bloginity.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Richard-Avedon-Andy-Warhol-2.jpg?fit=900%2C1119 
> 
> Richard Avedon, self-portrait (1980)  
> https://maryckhayes.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/sfmoma_avedon_06_selfportrait.jpg?w=828


End file.
